1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical devices for securing a fractured bone while the bone is healing, and more particularly, to a bio-absorbable bone tie with a convex head portion that minimizes chaffing and abrasion of soft tissue. The bone tie is bio-absorbable to eliminate the need for surgery for its removal, and includes a color-coded leading end to facilitate use with a corresponding inserter tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
When treating a severely fractured large bone, a surgeon often must secure fragments of the bone together to enable the bone to heal properly. Typically, the fragments are secured together by either threading one or more metal screws through the fragments or by tightly looping a segment of wire or an elongated band around the fragments. However, a notable drawback of securing bone fragments with metal screws, wire or a metal band is that removal of those items requires surgery, a procedure most patients would prefer to avoid. Additionally, securing bone fragments with a loop of wire or an elongated band often requires the time-consuming use of a tensioning device, and generally results in chaffing and abrasion of the soft tissue surrounding the closing mechanism of the loop or band. Furthermore, the use of an inserter tool when installing wire or a band can lead to confusion as to which opening in the tool should receive the leading end of the wire or band.
As a result, a need exists for a means of securing bone fragments together that eliminates the need for removal surgery, that incorporates a closing mechanism that minimizes chaffing and abrasion of soft tissue, that can be installed without the use of time-consuming tensioning devices, and that is configured to eliminate confusion as to which inserter tool opening should receive the means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,764, issued Aug. 20, 1985 to E. A. Ebert, describes a surgical bone tie constructed of a metal band with an integrated needle at one end and a flat, edged locking mechanism at the other end. U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,335, issued Aug. 19, 1986 to R. S. Wedeen, describes a cerclage wire passer that includes an S-shaped head with an eyelet at one end and a handle extending from the other end. The device is used to loop wire around a human bone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,614, issued Mar. 15, 1988 to L. A. Sutherland, describes a sternum closure device constructed of metal with a box-shaped head portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,416, issued Mar. 21, 1989 to S. B. Pollak, describes a bonding assembly for sternum closing that includes a metallic band with a surgical needle extending from one end and a buckling mechanism at the other end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,417, issued Oct. 18, 1994 to E. Golds, describes an absorbable sternum closure buckle that includes a strap and a two-piece buckle member. The two pieces of the buckle member are attached to different segments of the strap and are constructed of a bio-absorbable material. The strap is formed into a loop when the buckle is latched together.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,542, issued Oct. 31, 1995 to T. W. Alesi, Jr., describes a sternum buckle with serrated strap that includes an elongated strap with a box-shaped buckle member constructed of a bio-absorbable material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,209, issued Dec. 22, 1998 to F. J. Kummer, et al., describes a bone cerclage tool for encircling a bone with wire that includes a curved tube attached to a handle.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a bio-absorbable bone tie with convex head solving the aforementioned problems is desired.